The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-25

dowed by their Creator with certain inaenable
rights, and expressed firm reliance on the pro-
lection of divine providence. and If Jefferson.
when he signed this did not believe in God and
a special providence. he was simply liar and
hypocrite. and the speaker did not believe he was
either. He then quoted from BENJAMIN Frank
lin to prove that Ingersolls claim that Franklin
was an nfdel was utterly unfounded.
The history of America simply q grand
poem sounding in immortal numbers the praises
of Christianity. A Christian king and Chris
tian queen supplied the gold to build the ships
that found our shores. Christian hands felled
the trees and shaped them into the keels, and
ribs, and planks and masts, out of which the
ships were built. Christians spun their cordage
and from the looms of Christians leaped the
white sails that filled with the gales of God. bore
them over surging seas ever toward the setting
sun. A Christian captain. with heroism born
of faith in God. piloted the ships through storm
and tempest until at last their tired wings we're
folded, and they rocked restfully on the shining
bosom of the tropic sea-
The Christian cross was the first tree planted
by civilization under the summer sun of Saliva
dor. and the first words of hope and progress
that broke the parbaric silence of the new world
fell from the lips of the heroic men who knet
within it's sacred shadow and filled the sunny
skies with songs of thanks to the eternal God
whose hand had held them up in sefety as their
frail barks went blowing through the unknown.
soundess seas that rolled between them and the
land they sought. Christians declared the indie
pendence of this country. fought its battles,
formed it's Constitution established its schools.
universities and hospitals, and ruled the country
to-day.
He remarked that Ingersoll at the outset said
he didn't know anything about God, and then
proceeded to talk about this great Being he knew
nothing about. 1t reminded the speaker of
gentleman who. when asked to play poker. said:
II have four reasons for not playing first. L
haven't any money" THAT will do" said his
questoner You needn't give any more reasons"
So with Ingersol the fact that he doesn't know
anything about God is enough. He then
ferred to the morbid curiosity manifested rela-
too much all at He continually COM
planning because he did not know all things, and
could not find them out here. he says he ought
to be able to compass ali knowledge here be-
cause after he is dead he is decidedly dead
to be nowhere, and. of course, if he is nowhere,
there is not much hope of his finding out any
thing. Now this life were all there for lnger-
soil, Of what rse is the vast store of knowledge
he cravedl He thoroughly equipped for
this life. and yet he wanted infinite knowledge.
He said Ingersoll could not comprehend all he
wanted to know, and very much
like sick man for whom his physician once
ordered quart of champagne to be taken in a
single draueht, or else he would die. well"
said the patient. then l must die. doctor"
'Whyl" asked the doctor. Because" said the
patient, Il don't hold but pint" 1t was so
with 1ngersoll. He was not intended to compre-
bend the universe. He was built upon the pint
scale, and not upon the Imperial quart and
the world could jog along very comfortably
without his comprehe ending It That lngersoi
did not comprehend God would not jostle Jeho-
yah from his eternal throne and leave the world
to chaos. While Ingersoll would eventually
know more about God than he does DIT present,
the speaker did not believe that the Almighty
would ever take him into full partnership and
confide to him the secret of the subtle forces he
brings into play in the mighty drama of creation.
Ingersoll did not comprehend gravitation, but he
kept on gravitating He did not understand cleo
tricIty, but he kept right on elactrifying. He
did not understand earthquakes. but they kept
right on quaking He did not understand the
laws of matter yet the myriad particles of the
universe leap into each others outstretched
arms, and WE'VE themselves into wondrous
forms of strenp h and beauty. He did
derstand the affinity of soul for soul, yet the
stars look down upon fair maidens listening to the
voice of eager youth as it whispers the old, old
story that has frightened all the ages, and
millions of homes in our great land are joyous
tonight with the songs of those whose souls are
held close together by the same invisible cords
that since the birth of time. have been woven in
the loom of love.
He thanked God that this great universe
not built and was not run upon the basis of
Robert q. IngersolPs comprehension There
had been too much of the inconsiderate and i'm
pertinent presentation of crude opinions upon
the subject of religion. No man was at liberty
to presume upon the ignorance of thu communi-
ity and fippantly parade his vagrant fancies be-
fore the world and yet Ingersoll continually ad-
vanced ideas" and Opinions" subjects of
which he Acknowledged absolute ignorance This
phase of Ingersolisrn was startling as it was
illogical and indefensible. 1ngersoll says: II
know nothing about God-not the slight
est" Now that was true, and, therefore,
would naturally suppose he would not
try to talk about God. knowing nothing of
God, what right has he to say. God does not
existP Knowing nothing, what right has he to
say, There need of Gods existence2"
What right to say God did not create the
world" or that God had no right to do this or
that, or that He is dumb to the cry of mani
What marvellous cheek this man exhibits! What
bold audacity! An atom in space. n mere speck
in creation contendlng with the Creator; calling
God to account; criticsiug with his feeble intel
lect the Almighty, and seeking to bring the
illimitable universe within the narrow compass
of his benighted reason. There were only two
classes of men and women which advanced
opinions the truly wse-and they, always with
the modesty born of reverence-and fools, who
rush with unthinking and unseemly haste into
uncovered and with feet unsandaled The
Christian world may not know its lesson per-
fecty but it has got the great pagan down
mighty fne' to the value of his ''opin ions"
upon religious subjects. I may trust
him in some fields. but not in that-not much.
Ingersol was given to an exhibition of ill-temper
and il-wi;l against both Christianity and it's ad-
herents. No was ever better than his
thoughts or kindlier than the sentiments he en-
tanned and the philosophy of the gallant Colonel
was both shallow and unkinc. His soul had not
been softened by the contemplation of his own
theories, but he manifested ugly and vicious
temper toward the system he opposed and its
adherents and supporters. he was mad, mad
clear through mad from the polished top of his
intellectual dome to the soes of his infidel feet.
And he mad simply because 300, DOC, 600 peo-
pie differ from him upon these points and de-
cline exchange their views for those he cher
shes.
The speaker then ably and graphically sketched
the difference between Christianity and Inger-
sollism. and asked Mr.. 1ngersoll what he pro-
posed 90 give in place of what he demanded
should be destroyed. He had right to destroy
a mans house simply because it was made Of
mud and offer him shelter in return. and to DO
this is like striking the cup of water from the
hands OF a dying pilgrim in the sandy desert
because the water is muddy. and leave man to
perish. And yet Ineersol. proposed to destroy
this God of the Christian, and then says: ITO
be honest with you, / haven't any God TO give
you in place of yours" or course the Christian
did not expect TO comprehend God in His full